Ryan G from Long Island: Why does Sandy refuse to say, ‘Rebuilding’? Everyone knows he’s in a Rebuilding Phase, yet he won’t say so.

Matthew Cerrone: In these cases, I’m a believer in action not words. So, I’m far less concerned with what he calls what he’s doing and more interested in what he’s actually doing. However, from a public relations stand point, I bet the team could gain more fans than they’re turning away by simply calling it what it is…

I suspect they feel otherwise, and that by saying, ‘Rebuilding,’ they think they’ll be perceived as giving up, which will mean no one buys tickets and the ballpark will be empty. However, it seems to me that large-scale ticket sales are always based on what is happening on field. In other words, if the Mets are playing well and it looks like a fun time, regardless of how the team characterizes it in words, people will go watch; and if the team is losing, they won’t. But, by making fans more aware of what is happening, I bet the team’s core fans would embrace the process. From what I can tell talking to season-ticket holders, they’re almost insulted that they’re being asked to pay a lot of money to watch a mystery unfold. Instead, I think with a price break and total honesty about where things are headed, those same season ticket holders would likely stick around feeling included (especially if they knew there would be something extra in it for them when the good times return).

Here is the latest, most relevant Hot Stove buzz from around MLB this morning:

• The Texas Rangers are pursuing both Gio Gonzalez and Andrew Bailey from the Athletics.
• According to Ken Rosenthal, the Cubs are the “front-runners” to land Prince Fielder.
• The Rockies are growing confident that they will land free-agent outfielder Michael Cuddyer; who they have reportedly offered three years and $27 million.
• There are multiple sources corroborating a New York Post report that the Blue Jays have won negotiating rights for Yu Darvish. If true, the Blue Jays will have until Tuesday to complete a deal.
• Josh Willingham has agreed to a three year $21 million deal with the Twins.

The Mets are among at least six teams pursuing A’s LHP Gio Gonzalez, FoxSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal said on Twitter.

The Tigers, Phillies and Blue Jays have also reportedly shown interest in Gonzalez.

Matthew Cerrone: This is odd. I mean, the Mets have been talking to other teams about trading away Jon Niese. So, it seems strange that they’d also be in on trying to acquire Gonzalez, who, from what I understand, has had at least 12 teams check in on him. Despite throwing 200 innings with at least 170 strike outs in each of his last two seasons, Gonzalez doesn’t strike me as someone that Sandy Alderson would be looking to bring on because a) he also led the league in walks, b) he has said he doesn’t want to trade away his prospects yet, and c) Gonzlaez is arbitration eligible each of the next four seasons.

My hunch is that Rosenthal heard the Mets name either because of their previous interest in Andrew Bailey, or perhaps they’re part of some sort of three-way deal.

I’ve heard from more than one person that the Mets have had substantive talks about Niese with the Jays, who have also been mentioned repeatedly in rumors involving Gonzalez. The people I’ve talked with say the Mets like Jays C Travis d’Arnaud, as do many other teams. Also, the word in baseball has been that Billy Beane is looking for the type of prospects that most teams refuse to include in a deal for Gonzalez, like Marlins OF Mike Stanton. So, perhaps the Mets and A’s are considering something creative involving their two, young left-handed starting pitchers?

In this week’s Mostly Mets Podcast, Ted Berg, Toby Hyde, and Patrick Flood discuss Andres Torres, Carlos Beltran, Ruben Tejada, and a potential new market inefficiency:

Click here to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes: Subscribe

In a post to Twitter, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports says LHP Joe Saunders has developed a healthy market for himself, although the Diamondbacks, who non-tendered him earlier this week, are no longer in the running for him.

Last week, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic said the Diamondbacks offered Saunders a new two-year contract before they non-tendered him, and rather than non-tendering Saunders, GM Kevin Towers had suggested they intended to either sign Saunders or trade him.

Regarding the possibility of adding a starting pitcher this winter, Sandy Alderson told reporters on Tuesday:

“The problem with rotation depth is you have to hit the sweet spot. So it’s got to be somebody who can either be a swingman out of the bullpen, or somebody who could go to Triple-A initially and maybe move up and down.”

Michael Baron (Updated from Dec. 9, 2011): Based on what Alderson said on Tuesday, it didn’t sound to me as though he intends to pursue a major league starting pitcher, despite the loss of Chris Capuano, and the uncertainty surrounding Johan Santana and Mike Pelfrey. Based on that alone, I’d like to see him explore Saunders or at least another healthy arm for the rotation.

Saunders isn’t going to “wow” anyone with his stuff, but he’s proven to be a durable and steady left handed pitcher who could be a fit. He usually sits in the upper 80s to low 90s with his fastball and off-sets that with a good tailing change-up. He pitches to contact and gives up a lot of home runs, but a move to a more pitcher-friendly park would probably reduce that number.

In 33 starts for Arizona in 2011, the 30 year old Saunders went 12-13 with a 3.69 ERA in 33 starts and 212 innings, allowing 210 hits and 67 walks and 29 home runs. He is entering his third year of arbitration, and he just completed a one-year, $5.5 million contract he signed with Arizona last January.

The Mets continue to have “regular contact” with free-agent SS Jack Wilson, according to a tweet from Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.

Last month, Jon Heyman said the Mets, Dodgers and Braves are among teams with interest in Wilson, which was confirmed by his agent in the New York Post.

Wilson, 34, hit just .243 with a .274 OBP and just 9 extra base hits in 79 games between the Braves and Mariners last season.

Last week, infielder Alex Gonzalez signed with Milwaukee, but told a Venezuelan sports-talk radio show that he received offers from both the Giants and Mets. However, he decided to take the job with the Brewers where he could be a starting player.

R.A. Dickey has been selected along with Mark Teixeira, Yogi Berra, and NBA Hall of Famer Chris Mullin to receive the “Thurman Munson Award” on January 31 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City.

The Thurman Munson Awards are presented for success on the fields of play and philanthropic works off the field, and this January, Dickey will scale Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise awareness and funds for the Red Light District Outreach Mumbai, which combats human trafficking in India.  He got his inspiration to climb the mountain from Ernest Hemingway’s “The Snows of Kilimanjaro,” which he read in eighth grade.  He also makes numerous appearances at hospitals to cheer up children.

For tickets and information on the Munson Awards Dinner, call 212-249-6188.

The Mets announced they have signed lefthander Chuck James to a minor league contract and invited him to Spring Training.

James, 30, split last season between the Twins and their Triple A affiliate in Rochester. He appeared in eight games for Minnesota, posting a 6.10 ERA in 10.1 innings. He was 3-2 in the minors with one save and a 2.30 ERA in 38 games.

To follow James on Twitter, click here.

Here is the latest, most relevant Hot Stove buzz from around MLB this morning:

• The Pirates have agreed to sign former Mets reliever Ryota Igarashi to a split contract.
• Bidding for the posting fee on Yu Darvish closed Wednesday. The commissioner’s office will notify its Japanese counterpart of the amount of the highest bid, but not the identity of the MLB club that made the offer. Ham Fighters have until 5 p.m. EST Tuesday to accept.
• The Red Sox have agreed to terms with infielder Nick Punto.
• The Diamondbacks have interest in re-signing Joe Saunders or adding Hiroki Kuroda to fill out their rotation.

The Mets announced tonight they have signed RHP Jon Rauch to a one-year contract.

Rauch, 33, appeared in 53 games with the Toronto Blue Jays last season, finishing 5-4 with 11 saves. He compiled a 4.85 ERA (28 earned/52.0 innings) with 36 strikeouts and pitched 1.0 inning or more in 39 of his 53 appearances.

The 40-man roster now contains 39 players.

Yesterday at the team’s Holiday Party for local children, Justin Turner said he will go about Spring Training in the exact same way he has in the past – feeling no addition pressure – despite knowing Jose Reyes will not be on the team and that he could easily end up being a starting second baseman.

In regards to being more aware of hot stove rumors, because of Twitter, where he has seen reports of the Mets still looking for a middle infielder, he said:

“I try to just focus on the things I can control. That’s me. Obviously, Sandy is always trying to do what he can to make the team better. If that is something he decides will help the team – and that is something he does – I still have to go out and prepare myself for Spring Training. Like I said, I don’t take anything for granted. I hope to win the job. I’m going in there just like I did last year.

Turner played in 117 games for the Mets last season and hit .260 with a .334 OBP, 4 HR, 30 doubles and 49 RBI, while playing second base, third and one game at shortstop.

Vinny Cartiglia: I am a strong believer in up-the-middle defense and I’m not quite sure Turner fits the bill. He’s adequate at second, but his lack in ability to turn the double play makes him expendable to me. With that said, he has shown a great knack for driving in runs, and earlier in the 2011 season, driving in big runs. And so, to me, I’d rather see him used as a right handed pinch hitter/utility role.

Michael Baron: When Turner was in the early discussion for Rookie of the Year and going at his best in 2011, he was doing a great job taking the ball the other way. But as he became more exposed to major league pitching he seemed to have more and more difficulty doing that consistently. However, he is a cut above Murphy defensively (although not great), and so unless a) Murphy solidifies the position defensively, b) the Mets go out and get an established second baseman, or c) the Mets get someone else to platoon with Murphy from the right side, Turner will be in the mix and probably get a lot of at bats in a backup/utility role.

Jon Scippa: Playing in over 100 games in the majors for the first time in his career, Justin Turner produced a .310 wOBA with 113 hits and 39 walks in 487 plate appearances in 2011. His lack of power probably doesn’t help his case as an everyday player for the Mets. CAIRO currently projects him to produce about the same in 2012 (.248/.317/.354 over 72 games). If he were to start over 120 games, he likely doesn’t contribute more than .9-1.0 WAR on offense at best.

Yesterday at the Mets holiday party at Citi Field, Sandy Alderson told reporters he viewed Johan Santana as a “question mark” heading into the 2012 season, although he had previously said Santana should be ready for the full workload in Spring Training.

In a post to his blog for ESPN New York, Adam Rubin spoke to an “employee” in another organization who “painted a grim prognosis” on Santana’s ability to contribute to the Mets in 2012, saying:

“That info is not really new. Mets downplaying of course. Never know with the shoulder. You can throw great, appear 100 percent, but then can’t recover to throw again. Jake Peavy and Mark Mulder are great examples. Resiliency and durability complete unknowns post-shoulder op. Major setbacks and retirement common.”

That said, Santana’s agent, Chris Leible, said he is working under his routine off-season conditioning program and “expects to be ready on Opening Day.”

Michael Baron: I haven’t gotten the sense the Mets have downplayed the severity of Santana’s recovery, especially after listening to Sandy speak yesterday. I also don’t think there are very many people who think Santana will be the pitcher he was before the surgery. I myself have always been pessimistic about his recovery, labeling him as a huge “question mark” next year and in the remaining years of his contract.

It’s easy to say today, when he’s working out and preparing for Spring Training that he’s ok and he will be ready. But as Sandy suggested, it’s going to be about how he responds to the rigors of camp, real innings in real games, and the recovery in between. Until he proves he can bounce back once, then twice, then three times, then start the season and pitch in varying weather, I don’t think anyone, including Johan will be convinced he has progressed.

Santana underwent surgery to repair a torn capsule in his left shoulder in September, 2010. He has not pitched in a major league game since although he had several rehab outings over the course of the 2011 season. He went 11-9 with a 2.98 ERA in 199 innings in 2010, and he’s entering the fifth year of a six-year, $137.5 million contract he signed before the 2008 season.

Newly-acquired OF Andres Torres and relief pitcher Ramon Ramirez talked to reporters today by phone, as the team introduced them to the media.

“Last year I had injuries. I was battling injuries,” Torres explained, regarding the difference in his production from 2010 to 2011. “This year I feel great. I’m training. I’m back on track. I’m working hard on hitting. And I’m ready. I’m excited to go to New York.”

In the event he is the team’s leadoff hitter next year, he says his goal will simply be to get on base. “I can make things happen,” he said. “I’m trying to make contact, hit line drives and play good defense.” He also says he intends to keep the clubhouse loose, noting, “We just have to feel comfortable in the clubhouse and just go out there and have fun.”

Torres has been able to watch Ramirez pitch over the last year in San Francisco, and says the key to Ramirez’s effectiveness has been his ability to locate his pitches.

Here is the trailer for an upcoming documentary about Torres and his path to the big leagues:

Here is the latest, most relevant Hot Stove buzz from around MLB:

• The Red Sox acquired reliever Mark Melancon from the Astros for SS Jed Lowrie and starter Kyle Weiland.
• The Brewers signed free-agent 3B Aramis Ramirez to a three-year, $36 million contract.
• The Orioles and Braves have discussed a deal that included RHP Jair Jurrjens and Martin Prado.
• The Rangers and Blue Jays are viewed as the favorites to win the right to negotiate with Japanese RHP Yu Darvish, though the Nationals, Yankees, and Mariners.
• The Blue Jays, Cardinals, Rockies, and two other teams are in serious talks with free-agent OF Carlos Beltran, who is seeking a three-year deal.

According to Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors, the consensus among five agents and one team executive is  that it will cost as much as $55 million to talk with Darvish, who could then command a six-year, $75 million contract.

Matthew Cerrone: My hunch is that any trade talks between the Mets and Blue Jays, regarding Jon Niese, are likely on hold until Toronto has an idea of where they stand with Darvish (especially considering he’s a starting pitcher and could cost them up to $130 million when all is said and done).

By the way, I’m having a very, very difficult time imagining Beltran in a Cardinals uniform. That just seems wrong on so many levels…

Yesterday at Citi Field, Sandy Alderson said he has no regrets over how things played out between the Mets and Jose Reyes.

He said he never wanted to make the first offer to Reyes, knowing Jose’s agents would simply turn around and shop that offer to other teams (forcing the Mets to eventually offer more anyway). As an example, he doesn’t think it is a coincidence that Jose’s price went up from Friday (when he talked with Jose’s agents about a potential deal) to Saturday night (when Miami offered six years).

“What we thought might happen may have happened, in terms of making an offer and – in our case – having it used to increase another offer, which is the nature of the game,” he said, referring to why Miami upped their offer over that final weekend.

In regards to the definition of ‘offer,’ Alderson explained:

“Well, from a legal stand point, an offer is something that – if accepted – becomes a legal contract. … I think in the context of baseball it is about information. It’s not about being able to sign and accept something immediately. So, from that stand point, do I think we provided information that would have given them an exact idea of what was going on with us? Yes.

The night news broke of Reyes possibly signing with the Marlins, MetsBlog.com asked if the Mets should top their reported six-year, $106 million deal and 71% of 13,000 voters said, ‘No.”

Similarly, in a poll on MetsBlog.com in June, only 17% of roughly 13,000 fans said the Mets should guarantee Reyes six or more years on his next contract. The same poll ran every month through the end of the season and it never again raised above 15% until the day before Reyes signed in Miami – at the last minute - when it raised to 35%.

In other words, even while news was breaking last that Reyes might be signing a six-year deal with the Marlins, 65% of voters still said the Mets should offer just five years or less.